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Parasites and Conservation Biology
Published in Eric S. Loker, Bruce V. Hofkin, Parasitology, 2023
Eric S. Loker, Bruce V. Hofkin
Parasites by definition have a negative impact on the fitness of their hosts. If you were charged with the preservation of an endangered host species, then parasites could very well become another major concern in your efforts to preserve the species. As documented by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN, https://www.iucn.org), since the year 1500, 935 extinction events have been documented though many more surely went unnoticed, and over 6,500 species are listed as critically endangered. The introduction of alien species, a topic we investigate from several perspectives, is listed as the most common of several drivers of extinction. Infectious diseases are also among the top five causes of species extinctions and often work in combination with other stressors or drivers of extinction. We first take a look from a theoretical point of view as to why parasites are often considered to pose less of a threat to host species extinctions, but then consider some situations where their impact may be greater than expected.
‘New’ Recombinant Ecologies and their Implications – with Insights from Britain
Published in Kezia Barker, Robert A. Francis, Routledge Handbook of Biosecurity and Invasive Species, 2021
Nature conservation is often concerned with halting or reversing the declines of habitats, communities and species. Within this spectrum of target actions, those species of ecosystems considered to be ‘native’ and/or ‘natural’ are generally taken as priorities. However, as we move into the Anthropocene, globalisation increasingly tips the balance towards widespread declines and, ultimately, mass extinctions. Associated with these broader trends are the increasing emergence of novel ecological systems and ‘new’ species. It has also been argued that the extinction events in the past have triggered rapid speciation and the evolution of new biodiverse ecologies (e.g. Thomas, 2011, 2013). However, it is worth noting that the emerging ‘new’ species generally do not provide like-for-like compensation for those lost, and while in a geological time frame new biodiverse systems might emerge, in any reasonably human-related historical time frame, this is not the case (Rotherham, 2015, 2017a, 2017b). In the British context, species lost include the wolf, brown bear, beaver, wild boar, wildcat, golden eagle, etc. Emerging species include varie-gated yellow archangel, montbretia, hybrid wildcat, red deer x sika deer hybrid, polecat-ferret, Rhododendron ponticum hybrid, etc.
Mapping and sequencing: From gene to genome
Published in Peter S. Harper, The Evolution of Medical Genetics, 2019
Other medically relevant genomic studies include the analysis of cancer genomes, now becoming of practical importance and discussed below; while the potential importance of bacterial genomes such as the intestinal flora and major pathogens shows that non-human genomes should not be forgotten; sequencing the genomes of many important plant and animal species will undoubtedly be relevant to our health, too. Likewise in taxonomy generally, many of the previous conclusions based on phenotypic evidence will need to be thoroughly reassessed. It is tragic that all these spectacular advances for different species should be occurring just as we are ourselves causing the greatest mass extinction event for many millions of years.
Unblinding the watchmaker: cancer treatment and drug design in the face of evolutionary pressure
Published in Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery, 2022
Sophia Konig, Hannah Strobel, Michael Grunert, Marcin Lyszkiewicz, Oliver Brühl, Georg Karpel-Massler, Natalia Ziętara, Katia La Ferla-Brühl, Markus D. Siegelin, Klaus-Michael Debatin, Mike-Andrew Westhoff
If we understand cancer as an inevitable by-product of evolution, a race between a cell population acquiring all necessary hallmarks for cancer to develop [11] and an aging ecosystem with declining resources, we can view treatment as a selective force exerting pressure on the aforementioned population. The aim of this force (and here, of course, we part ways with the blind watchmaker who has no aim) is to induce an extinction event. If we succeed, we have cured the patient, but if part of the cell population adapts to the new environment, cancer will reemerge. However, as this perspective adds no new information, other than providing an additional framework for existing clinical observations, why is it important? Its importance lies in the fact that drug resistance is one of the main obstacles in improving the life of cancer patients worldwide [12,13]. In the clinical setting, the term drug resistance refers to cells having the ability to proliferate despite drug exposure and them surviving in the presence of the drug [14]. If the treatment is not effective and a portion of malignant cells survive, they can cause recurrence regardless of the drug’s initial benefit [15].